Before sunrise Monday, a suspected drunk driver turned a quiet Sperry intersection into a blackout zone, knocking out power to much of the town and shutting down local schools for the day.
Police say a vehicle smashed into a utility pole, cutting electricity across large parts of Sperry and freezing key services in place. At the fire station, the outage briefly trapped firefighters inside when the bay doors would not open, though crews still managed to respond to calls by jumping into personal vehicles. Town staff and utility crews fanned out to check damage and start getting the lights back on.
According to KRMG, the collision happened just before 4:30 a.m. at Cincinnati and Main. A man at the scene admitted he had been driving about 40 mph in a 25 mph zone and failed to make a turn before hitting the pole. The station reported that the downed pole cut power to "most of the town," leaving intersections dark and homes without service.
Sperry Public Schools posted on its website that "No School today, Monday, April 13, due to a power outage," noting that buses and school offices were affected while officials kept an eye on conditions. That announcement served as the first official word that classes were off for the day.
Emergency response stretched
As reported by KRMG, the power loss briefly sidelined the fire department when the outage disabled the garage doors, forcing firefighters to improvise and use their own vehicles to reach emergency calls. Town leaders and utility workers spent the morning evaluating the damaged pole and starting repairs in the hardest hit neighborhoods.
Investigation and next steps
Police say the crash remains under investigation, and officials had not immediately released any information about possible arrests or charges. Residents were urged to follow updates from the school district and local authorities as crews continue restoring power and assessing the full extent of the damage.
